To Parents with Children in Public School - by a student

Arkansas Publik Skulz ^ | 30 Aug 2003 | Ashley Anderson

[steplock]

To Parents with Children in Public School
Date: Saturday, August 30 @ 07:12:31
Topic Letters to Editor

"I will stand and fight until the end, because I owe it to my country."

Dear Editor:

This is for all the parents and their children who attend public school.

I have gone to public school all my life, until last September when I began private school. The differences are incredible! I will attempt to inform your readers as to what children in the government’s schools are doing every day.

Reading, writing, and arithmetic were the three basics every school used to go by. Are they what you think of when you think about what your child is learning?

Throughout most of my attendance In public school, the kids in my class only read one or two books throughout the whole year, until I was privileged with going to an AP class. The Advanced Placement courses have now been replaced with IB classes, which is short for the International Baccalaureate Organization, a part of UNESCO, United Nations. In this class, we were assigned numerous short stories to read, mostly about the myths of other countries, and some about their religions.

This class was intended to be a higher-level class, in which advanced students could “maximize” their learning capacity. Learning about the religions and cultures of other countries, and not names like Henry van Dyke, Washington Irving, O. Henry, or even Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, names which I never heard until I attended private school. These authors, among others such as Mark Twain and Emily Dickinson are purely American, and the basis for all literary writings in America to date.

Why were they never taught to me? Even in the advanced class we never read “Rip van Winkle.” Instead, we were assigned books like “The Giver” by Lois Lowry, which gave the details of killing babies and living in a world where no one was special and a person’s worth was based on his/her ability to conform to the group. Was I being conditioned?

When my mother was in school, she was taught phonics. In public school, I was taught to memorize the look of words and how they sounded. I was taught to remember the answer, not understand the question. I didn’t have spelling or vocabulary words to learn past the sixth or seventh grade. Why not?

In my private school, everyone has spelling and vocabulary words, in every grade, every week, to understand and learn how to use them in sentences. Words like philanthropy, misanthropic, and ameliorate were never taught to me in public school, despite the so-called “advanced” classes I was in. My mother, however, insisted on my having vocabulary words, even though it was not provided in public school.

Learning arithmetic has taken on a whole new meaning in public schools. It means that the more advanced students are made to wait for the others to catch up, and the advanced students are given “busy” work. The textbook often goes unfinished, and the students are passed anyway, because they tried their best. Grading on a curve is commonplace in public schools, so the students don’t know if they’re doing anything wrong. They are taught to be mindless and to accept whatever they are given.

I took Algebra in the eighth grade in public school, geometry in the ninth. When I changed to private school, I retook Algebra because my new school taught it differently, with more of the textbook. This year I’m taking trigonometry and Algebra II, both of my own choice. I know I’ll be getting the most out of them because we won’t be waiting for everyone to catch up like we did in public school. I can learn at my own pace.

Most kids in public schools are uncontrollable. How can any learning actually take place? Respect for authority, integrity, and honor are not words generally practiced by students who attend public school. If the administrators were to enforce the rules they have, they wouldn’t need to make more. Total control is the only thing gained when making more rules than needed.

I was amazed at how well-behaved the students at my private school were. Not only did they work hard, but were courteous, polite, and obedient. These things are a direct result of the proper atmosphere that this school provides. Christian values are taught, along with studying the Bible, which, needless to say, is strictly taboo in a public school.

Although I had some great teachers in public school, which are extremely hard to find, they could do nothing with the curriculum they were given from their superiors, not to mention the state, and the Department of Education, which is a part of the federal government. The department itself is unconstitutional; “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The United States as is written here means the federal government, or national government. The Constitution gave no such power to the federal government as to run a federal department of education. Therefore, it is unconstitutional. The Constitution, since 1787, is and has been the Supreme Law of the land.

I encourage all those who care about their children and grandchildren to go searching for the answer. There is a lot of information available; but you may have to look no further than a book by Charlotte Iserbyt called “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America”. It gives a detailed account of what really happens in public schools, why, and where the corruption comes from.

Students: no one can tell you who you are. If you don’t think for yourself, someone else will, be it a strong-willed friend, the media, or even our own government. Some people would have us believe that we’re too young to do anything about it, even if we wanted to. Well, there is one thing we know how to do, and that’s spread the word about what is going on; you have to learn more about it.

Even though it may be difficult to fund attending a private school or homeschooling, it is the only immediate way to stop what is being shoved down the throats of America’s youth. Soon even these may be forbidden. The way to avoid being institutionalized while attending a public school is not easy, but what is the most important thing? Is it more important to play football or be a cheerleader and end up flipping hamburgers in a fast food joint, or actually learning something that will be valuable to you the rest of your life?

Defend your mind, and ask questions. Don’t take anything for granted. Public school is not going to change, because it is running exactly how the government wants it to. Follow the money.

I am a Christian. This is not the time for believers to stick their heads in the dirt and hope that everything goes all right. The remnant of Christ’s followers exists today as foretold in the Bible. This is the time for believers in Christ to rise up and defend the rights our Forefathers died so that we may keep. I will stand and fight until the end, because I owe it to my country. What will you do?

Sincerely,
Ashley Anderson

This article comes from Arkansas Publik Skulz
http://www.gohotsprings.com/school/

The URL for this story is:
http://www.gohotsprings.com/school/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=266

[Boxsford]

This is exactly what is necessary. I was continually watching over what was being dished out to my son in public school until I finally convinced my husband that it would just be easier to home school.

[slimer]

Was I being conditioned?

Yes Ashley, you were being conditioned. Our nation has sold it's soul to the world for a bowl of stew.

[riri]

Homework, is a fact of life. It only will get worse as she gets older. It gives me an opportunity to sit with her and see how she is progressing, how she is grasping, where she is struggling and how she reasons, in general.

I think homework instills a sense responsibilty. I don't see a problem with it.

[Boxsford]

OPH, does a kind, positive thought ever cross the recesses of your mind and heart? I recall, in days long past, when you weren't quite so cynical and were actually fun to read.

[Boxsford]

That's your responsibility as a parent whether there is homework to be done or not. That, is the fact of life.

[ohioWfan]

Right....... and in our case, we found out that we liked what was going on. Not that we agreed with everything, of course, but the problems were small enough to deal with at home in our many conversations with our kids.

I am very aware that our situation is not typical, but in our case, the best thing for the kids was to leave them in public school to be a witness of the love of Christ to a whole lot of kids who desperately needed it.....

And they ALL agree that it was the best thing for them.

[cornelis]

Palpatine becomes the Emperor. Like Sophocles' Creon, barking against dangers and secretly admiring them.

[Mears]

The sarcasm of your post astonishes me. The problem is teaching the civil rights movement 3 months into the first grade. They are just too young at 6 years old to really understand the concept.

Teaching first graders to be kind to eachother,no matter what race,is enough. The teaching of the civil rights movement would be best taught at 4th grade at the very minimum.

A first grader has enough on their plate with the adjustment to school and learning to read.

[secret garden]

Perhaps her parents provided her education in writing. Schools didn't teach my children to read. I did. I imagine the same thing may happen as they progress through other subjects.

[jocon307]

"He NEVER helped me. I never asked."

I didn't need help with English, I desperately needed help with Math. Unfortunately for me, as my mother often pointed out, I was better at math than anyone else in my family, including my parents.

There were many tears and broken pencils, I tell you that, for a fact. Luckily for me some genius (at Texas Instruments wasn't it?) invented the calculator. I have actually been gainfully employed for my entire career as a bookkeeper. I meet people I went to school with and they are astonished!

But I always point out the job is BOOK-KEEPER, not mathemetician. I am living proof that technology not only ends jobs, but creates them.

[steplock]

2004 Young Poets Challenge
Articles / _News Desk
Date: Aug 22, 2003 - 09:48 AM

Get Published — Win $50!
Tarpeian Rock

The Tarpeian Rock is happy to sponsor a poetry contest for older kids and teens ages 12 through 18.

Now, just as Tarpeian Rock isn't your average literary magazine, this isn't your average poetry contest. We require excellence from our adult contributors and are eager to challenge younger writers to aspire to the same heights.

Please be advised that this isn't called a poetry *challenge* for nothing.

All entries are due by October 31, 2003.

http://www.arxpub.com/TarpeianRock/TR_2004_Poetry.html

---

[sam_paine]

..that means she learned her excellent writing skills IN her public school.......

Non sequitur. "That does not follow." It may mean she retained her natural writing talent in spite of public skoolz.

[Rainmist]

When I was in the second grade, we lived in New Jersey. There I learned Phonics. I can't say that I had Phonics anywhere else that I lived after NJ ( I was an Army brat ), but just that one year was enough. As my kids grew I applied phonics when they asked me how to spell something, and they both ace every spelling test they take even today.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I appreciate your comment, and I'm not saying the schools are "good" - just that there are varying degrees of bad or good.

I've spent quite a bit of time over the years in the schools my children attended - and I can assure you, some teachers are horrible - shouldn't be teaching anywhere, and then there are some who are so great at what they do, but are totally overwhelmed by the class size or the rules and demands that change each year - more paperwork vs. time to teach, etc.

I'm definitely not blind - I merely pointed out that some schools offer more than just some "room" where kids go wild and learn about sex and liberal policy all day -

One short example: In the 10th grade my daughter had this liberal social studies teacher (honors class - which basically means the kids have to be recommended to be in that class and they are there to learn, so there is a better environment in there). The kids were excited to finally be learning something about history in this Century, and they were learning about the Vietnam War period.

The teacher asked a Veteran to come speak to the class, and unfortunately, he turned out to be an anti-war, burned out 60ish hippy who disappointed many of the kids with his rhetoric - my daughter came home very upset and we discussed options of visiting with the teacher to request a different point of view to be presented. My daughter asked that we wait one day, to see how the teacher reacted to what had happened. Sure enough, the teacher thought the guy was great, however, another girl in the classroom, whose father is active-duty military, requested that her father be allowed to come and give "his" point of view..... the teacher agreed. He showed up in his uniform and gave a more informative view on what and how things happened. That is what the kids wanted - the whys and hows, not the "I hate America" crap that this hippy was spouting - it gave them nothing of value -

Some people are blind - you are right - but not everyone - some of us see the good and bad in many situations, we deal with it

[gitmo]

They set up a system in Charlotte where you have to have written permission from the school system uptown for each and every visit to your schools classroom. When my wife checked in at the principals office and went to our son's classroom (we didn't know about this new policy) they sent police to escort her out. We now homeschool.

[riri]

Oh my...I bet that got ugly.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

That is beyond what is needed for security - I second riri, that was bad.......

[agrace]

bump for later read

[riri]

Here is a question I have. When I was a kid, no one's parent's spent time at the school like parents do today. I am volunteering to teach 4 art classes in an Art masterpice program, I know parent's who volunteer to help in the computer lab, in the classroom, at recess etc. When I was a kid, no one's parents ever came to school. Except maybe to work in the cafeteria, cross walk, or something like that.

So, why are we turning out worse people??

[riri]

Not written very well. Head cold and my head feels like it is 20 feet wide. I hope you catch my drift.